A General's Journey
by Warrior of Ice
Summary: Resurrected and unable to remember his past, Zoisite has been set on a quest by the unhappy rulers of Crystal Tokyo. He must remain true to the crown and to his soulmate but is hindered by dark forces and a beautiful woman who may be his past lover.
1. Part I: Special Delivery

Part I: Special Delivery

Chapter 1

A rift in the perfectly-clear skies overhead opened suddenly, and a bright flash of light ensued from the gap. A slender man of medium height hurtled through the air, slowing down only when he was a few feet away from the ground. He landed, his eyes dazzled and confused, and got up slowly, as if he hadn't used his legs in an eternity. The fallen man ran his long-fingered, callused hands over his body reverently, checking and double-checking that he was really and truly wholly there. Yet as the lanky man's emerald green eyes turned towards the majestic palace several miles from the gates of Utopia, the jubilant, childlike expression on his face faded to the frightened look of a defeated, weary old man. The memories of the past and his betrayal resurfaced, and he sank to his knees in despair.

A quiet, timeless voice as smooth as silk and even darker and richer interrupted his reverie. "Zoisite."

The blond scrambled to his feet and looked up nervously, and in spite of his anxieties, he smiled a smile that was a shade reminiscent of its old roguish charm. "Setsuna," he acknowledged with a courteous bow.

The returning smile on her face was sad as she replied, "You have been reborn in Crystal Tokyo, several millennia after the time of the Silver Millennium, at the will of the gods. Neo-King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity, whom you knew as your liege and his Lunarian princess, brought the world into the Crystal Millennium, named for the roles of the Imperium Silver Crystal and the Golden Crystal, as well as the Deep Freeze, which is the term coined for the period of time during which the Earth crystallized completely. The people of Earth went into a slumber that supposedly cured them of their faults, but those not strong enough to withstand the long wait or who did not accept the cleansing either died or are currently living outside Crystal Tokyo."

"And...Endymion? Is he–is he still alive?" Zoisite asked anxiously, his unruly bangs falling in his eyes as he gazed at the woman as if she were a lifeline.

The Timekeeper smiled gently and replied, "Yes, he's fine and ruling over the Earth jointly with the Neo-Queen."

His heart in his throat, he inquired, "And the senshi?" Setsuna's eyes fell away from his, and he felt alone and abandoned suddenly. 

"Yes, the senshi. Well, the Outers and the Inners are on good terms, getting to the same point in friendship as they had attained in the Silver Millennium. They've become immortal, an after-effect of being resurrected by the Crystal so many times. Um...they've lived quite a while." She looked distinctly nervous, and Zoisite could not gather the courage to prod her. Clearing her throat delicately, she continued, still not meeting his eyes, "But they're alive and well, and they're happy because Serenity is happy. They've reached their final power levels, and although the planets have not been re-colonized yet, the efforts towards that have begun. The Neo-King and -Queen have also conducted the coronation ceremonies. Ami is now the Queen of Mercury."

Zoisite's heart sank as he recalled that because of him, she had never been crowned in her past life. Her entire lifetime–well, the first one–had been spent training to be the perfect princess for her people, and he had ruined everything. "Exactly how many times have they been reborn?"

"Once after the Silver Millennium, then after they fought Beryl a second time...they battled Seijuurou (Ail) and Natsumi (Ann) but didn't die...the Ayakashi Sisters and the Dead Moon Family–that was the third time...not after the Deathbusters and Pharaoh 90–unless you count Hotaru...then Galaxia killed them by stealing their starseeds. That's four times," she calculated aloud, taking in his startled expression.

"They...fought Beryl...again?" he asked, feeling extremely confused.

The olive-haired woman's gaze transferred fixedly to a point in the distance again. "Yes. Actually, they spent the better half of their freshman year of high school contending with...you. Jadeite was the first Shittenou they faced, and he was thought to be killed by them in the airport after he tried to murder Tuxedo Kamen–that would be Endymion in a tuxedo and mask–but in reality, Beryl sentenced him to eternal sleep. Nephrite was next, and he fell in love with Usagi's–Serenity's Japanese name–friend, Naru. Then your minions killed _him_."

Zoisite was floored, astonishment plain in his eyes. "What??"

"I'm just telling you what happened, Zoisite. After Nephrite died, you and Kunzite took over the search for the crystal carriers."

He felt a mounting headache coming on and rubbed at his eyes. "Me and...Kunzite? Why? Jadeite and Nephrite worked alone."

A fit of coughing came over the green-haired one, and she declined to answer until she saw the look in his eyes. He needed to know; he just couldn't go marching into Crystal Tokyo without knowing what he had done while brainwashed. "You and Kunzite were lovers," she said finally.

"Excuse me?! I don't think I heard you correctly."

"No, you did," Setsuna said. 

The poor man looked absolutely mortified, and his surprisingly tanned complexion had deepened to a tomato red. "I...Kunzite...lovers?!" He couldn't even begin to comprehend the notion; he felt repulsed at the very thought.

Looking at him sympathetically, she suggested, "Why don't we head over to the Crystal Palace now to see the Neo-King and -Queen?"

"What, so we can all sit down and have a nice cup of tea while reminiscing fondly of the old times? I know what kind of greeting I'll receive. I have to know first. Tell me why. Why did it have to happen? Why? Is it punishment for what happened in the Silver Millennium?" 

"No, Zoisite." Her tone was kind as she reminded him, "The past was a mistake and no faults of yours. You cannot be held accountable."

Miserably, he interjected, "But it happened nonetheless, and Endymion and Serenity–and Ami, especially Ami–regard me as a traitor. Why did it have to happen? We would have been so happy, so complete. We were meant to be!"

"That's the way the wheel of destiny turns and the hand of fate decides. You were a servant of the Dark Kingdom, Zoisite, mindless and brainwashed against your own will. Your one purpose in life was to kill the one person, ordained by Metallia and Beryl, that you loved. But she lived, Zoisite, she lived!" 

"She committed suicide," he corrected glumly.

Exasperated, Setsuna retorted, "She's alive now. I'm going to the Crystal Palace. Are you coming or not?"

"Have I a choice?"

"Not at all." A swirl of deep garnet intermixed with olive green encompassed them both as she teleported them to the home of Serenity, Endymion, and the legendary senshi...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

In the enormous throne room, Serenity was just adjusting her golden tiara when Setsuna, with Zoisite in tow, appeared amidst a burst of brilliant light. Bowing deeply, with the man beside her following suit after a second (in which he quickly composed himself and snapped his gaping mouth shut), the dark-haired woman murmured, "Your highness."

"Setsuna–why–how–? _Zoisite?_"

She sighed heavily and explained, "I know you weren't expecting this, but the gods decided it was time for him to be reborn, and I had no hand in affair this but to escort him here from the gates of the city."

The look of pity and distrust in her clear blue eyes made Zoisite want to return to his early grave, in which he had resided for a few millennia already. He wasn't even sure how many millennia had passed, he thought bitterly. 

"Endymion should be here," the Neo-Queen declared after a few moments' thought. She had learned to make rapid decisions in her many years of ruling. 'Endymion. Endymion! Wake up, Mamoru.'

'Grmph...I told you I needed sleep, Usako!'

'I know you did. This is important. Endymion, Setsuna brought one of them here...one of your generals. Zoisite.'

He woke up immediately and teleported in without straightening up, ruffled hair and all. Luckily, he hadn't bothered to change before he had collapsed in bed, and his lavender tuxedo was only slightly wrinkled. Looking at Zoisite, who had nearly prostrated himself again, he stood beside his wife. 'I didn't need this, not now.'

Setsuna looked directly at him, despite the fact that he had directed his telepathic thought towards Serenity. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, your majesty, but the gods deigned that Zoisite had to be reborn and reborn _now_."

"Just Endymion, please, Setsuna." Regarding the keeling man thoughtfully, his darkening sapphire eyes hiding all of his emotions, Endymion stated calmly, "Zoisite."

"My liege."

"Get up and look us in the eye or not at all." 

When he did, Setsuna cleared her throat delicately. "Endymion...he was one of your best friends, one of your Shittenou, a brother-in-arms and in faith."

The ebony-haired man remarked coldly, although he flinched inwardly, "I'm no longer sure whether he deserves that title or not. In the Silver Millennium, when I was a foolish prince that trusted those around me without question, I could never have challenged that. Now I must." It cut him deeply to hear the choked noise that came from one of his oldest friends, but the wound that Zoisite and the other generals left hurt too much to be covered up, even after a new millennium had begun. "Are the others coming back as well?"

"It depends on his success–you might say that he's the lab rat." Setsuna twirled her staff idly as she took in the room's silence. "It is your choice whether you choose to lock him up, restore him, or turn him loose in the world. There is, of course, the possibility of killing him, but it wouldn't sit well with the gods who have demanded him brought back with–ah–no little difficulty." 

He blanched and shot her a resentful look. The way she was talking, as if he wasn't right there in front of them all, didn't sit well with him.

Serenity's clear voice broke across the hall after her astonishing pronouncement. "Very well then. We will neither kill him nor imprison him. Restoring him to his position as a Shittenou is, however, out of the question at the moment. But there is a way–eventually–if you are willing." Pausing for her words to sink in, she began again when she realized that all eyes were upon her. "In times of old, the new ranks of Shittenou were accepted after they had undergone a test of sorts. You passed that test once, Zoisite, but you broke your oath. Thus, this second test of loyalty must be harder. Beyond this Utopia that we have created, there is a dark world. We will set up a treasure hunt of sorts, where you will have to find clues in certain places. You will receive the first from us, and each consecutive one at the location the clues tell you to go to. If you recover the object in question, at the end of the search, all will be well, and you can return. If you survive there, outside Crystal Tokyo, without help from either Setsuna, Endymion, or myself, and if you have kept your faith with us, you will be accepted back into Crystal Tokyo and reestablished as a general. If, however, you fail on this quest...there will be no salvation for either you or the other Shittenou."

Before he could reply, Endymion sent another telepathic thought towards his queen. 'Wait, Serenity. Ami should be here.'

'Mamo-chan, please. Can't we spare her–and all of them–the sight of seeing him again?'

His inner voice was stiff and impersonal as he replied, 'Serenity, I'm hearing the impossible wish of a wistful teenaged girl right now. You spoke as a queen a few moments before and have been ruling for over three decades. Will you leave behind all that experience now and jeopardize our position?' Again, it hurt Endymion to berate her so, but it needed to be done. Just like Zoisite had to undergo this nearly impossible task.

Her crystal blue eyes turned cloudy and thoughtful until clarity returned once more. 'Very well.' To Setsuna, she asked, "Do you agree with said agreement, Setsuna?"

Looking away from Zoisite, she inclined her head slowly, letting the midnight tresses fall forward gracefully. "Yes, my queen."

"Very well. As much as we value your accession, Setsuna, we desire to have a third opinion of our ruling."

"And that would be...?"

"Your highness of Mercury, would you please step forward?"

During their conversation, Endymion had summoned the senshi, and all of them stood in a neat row of eight, all staring at Zoisite with one, two, or all of three emotions: dislike, distrust, and hatred.

Ami, who had stood as still as stone, moved forward almost mechanically. It broke and overwhelmed Zoisite's heart to see her once more. She was dressed like a queen, in a silken blue dress of shimmering fabric that made her look like a heavenly being. The cut of dress emphasized her figure, which had filled out to that of an adult's since the last time Zoisite had seen her, when she had barely reached eighteen. The spaghetti straps were thin and delicate, and the neckline was cut to show an appropriate but not scandalous amount of cleavage. Despite the fact that her curves and features had matures, she was as slender and slim-boned as ever. She had an air of cool pragmatism around her, and her deep blue eyes, the color of pure water, were icy as they regarded him. He was reminded of Setsuna's words...she was a queen in her own right and had always been, and she looked the part. "Yes, my queen?" she asked quietly. 

The crystalline sound of her voice shook him as it refreshed and cleansed his soul. His eyes drank in her gently-waving hair, which was slightly longer than it had been before but not by much. Its color was much darker than he remembered, although a few of the lightest highlights were the pale, wispy blue he remembered from the Silver Millennium. He also noticed the unchanged pert little nose and rose petal-like lips he had dreamed of kissing even after he had died.

"It seems that we've been compelled by the gods to allow Zoisite another chance. Serenity has come up with the solution that while we will neither forgive him nor restore him to his former position, he will be given the opportunity to prove himself. There will be a quest of sorts, in which he will receive the first clue from us or Setsuna. That clue will direct him to x location, where another hint to the end of the quest will be. If no misfortune occurs and he returns to Crystal Tokyo with the desired article, he will be restored as one of the Shittenou once more, and the others will also be allowed to return." After his long summary of events, Endymion took in a huge gulp of air. 

As he paused, the golden-haired woman beside him asked, "Do you agree with these terms, Ami?"

Her eyes traveled from the faces of Serenity, Endymion, and Setsuna, consciously avoiding Zoisite's imploring glance, until they rested on the giant tapestry behind the throne. It depicted the Moon and the Earth, bonds between them stitched in gleaming threads of the finest silver and gold. They were surrounding by an unbroken circle of the eight other planets, and in particular, her gaze was attracted to Mercury. While the planet did not look blue in the night sky, it had been woven in a deep, glittering sapphire in honor of her senshi color. It reminded her once again exactly what being a senshi meant and of the vows she had sworn during her joint-coronation with the Inners. "Yes. I agree."

"Very well. Setsuna, if you please, is there somewhere he can stay outside of the palace for the time being?" Serenity asked, eyes holding sympathy and pity as she looked upon her husband, Ami, and Zoisite. 

The Gatekeeper nodded silently and withdrew with the green-eyed man, who threw one desperate look back at the woman he had sworn to love forever in his first lifetime and lost to four others in between. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Chapter 2

The green-haired woman cast a surreptitious glance over her shoulder as they were escorted out by immaculately-uniformed guards, all bearing the symbols of their monarchs and showing echoing dislike and contempt in their faces for this traitor to the throne, branded since the so-called perfect times of the Silver Millennium (they would have described it as a golden age if the title of the millennium hadn't been so discriminatory). The Timekeeper's concerned look expressed more of her thoughts than she would have liked, but the object of her concerns was too deeply engrossed in the shocking afterthoughts that were running through his mind after seeing Endymion, Serenity, and the full ranks of senshi again after such a long time. Deciding it was best to get an early start on things, Setsuna halted their escort abruptly. "I'll just transport him to the Gates now. Thank you for your time."

Their leader shifted nervously, clearly uncomfortable with letting the ex-general go. "My apologies, your honored majesty of Pluto–and you're welcome–but I really must insist..."

She cut him off with an icy stare. As they stepped back and formed a neat row once more, she gripped Zoisite firmly by the shoulder and wrapped them in her power once more. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Barely registering the change in scenery, Zoisite promptly took the nearest chair in what looked like an extremely cluttered warehouse of sorts. Crossing his legs in a deceptively casual manner, he leaned back easily and touched the tips of his fingertips together, studying them intently and seemingly blocking out his surroundings–and Setsuna.

Feeling more than slightly annoyed, she began conducting a thorough search of the room. It wasn't that she didn't trust her memory–it was tried, true, and had never been beaten–but she needed to look busy. Double-checking had never hurt anyone. Nonchalantly, she spoke in his general direction, but her tone indicated that she knew he was lost in thought and, in all probability, not listening. It was an infuriating habit of his, one that she wished Ami all the joy of putting up with. "You're very quiet, Zoisite. I would have expected more questions from a scholar like yourself."

His eyes lost their faraway look, and the blond-haired man sat up at attention. "If questions are what you want, I have tons. Enough to last a lifetime. What am I really doing here, Setsuna? I don't feel like I belong, and seeing her–them–again, it made me feel...odd. Misplaced, somehow. They've changed; I saw it in their eyes. They're older, and I'm still the same."

"You would change after the lives they've lived," she said gently.

"They feel like strangers...even Endymion is unfamiliar. He's learned more than he knew in the Silver Millennium, and it may have made him a better ruler, but he's been hurt because of it."

Carefully bringing down a dusty staff from one of the uppermost shelves, Setsuna pursed her lips and blew off the specks covering the crystal at the top. "A great many things have happened. You've missed a lot of their lives."

He buried his face in his hands. "I know I have, and I'm not sure if I can survive. I'm too old–or too young–for traipsing through unknown territory like this. I've been dead and dust for such a long time, and I'm not ready."

"I have faith in you, Zoisite." Her garnet eyes regarded him with an unearthly, sympathetic light. "This journey will, hopefully, restore the zest for life to your soul. You may not be ready now, but the task will give you time to clear your mind and see how things are nowadays. Everything will become clear," she finished, with full conviction. 

"Will everything turn out all right at the end?" he asked hopefully.

Her beautiful, dark eyes became shadowed, and she turned away. After a few minutes of heavy silence, she replied, "I hope so, but you know I can't promise you anything, Zoisite. For once, it's not up to me, the gods, or destiny. It's all up to _you_. What happens to you on this quest, if you choose to return and try to gain the love of Ami as she is now, or if you decide never to come back to the confines of the city, or if you die once more...your actions are the determining factor. They are the only things that count."

The expression on Zoisite's face indicated that her cryptic words had brought up new issues in his mind, but before he could voice those doubts, a soft tinkling was heard in the air. Frowning, he changed what he had been about to say. "What's that noise?"

Setsuna smiled faintly. "Nothing's wrong. I think. It's signaling the teleportation of a senshi, and if my gut instincts are right, it'll be Minako."

"Hmph. No such thing as 'gut instinct' for you, Sets. You just see things ahead of time," a cheerful voice challenged playfully as a blonde woman materialized in the room with little effort. Her cornflower blue eyes lit upon Zoisite curiously, and the senshi of Venus smiled comfortingly when she noticed that he was looking extremely nervous. "Hello, Zoisite. I'm supposed to play stuffy commander, and if I held with that nonsense, I would have to say that I shouldn't condone this type of thing, but I've got a feeling that this is right. For all of us." Minako beamed at him sunnily while his expression changed from anxious to surprised.

"But...I would have thought...I mean, this whole strange idea of Kunzite–" He instantly regretted saying the silver-haired man's name, but Minako's features stayed warm and friendly.

"Oh, Kunzite. That old stick in the mud. I'm hoping to have some words with him when he comes back, and then we'll see, but for now, you have to succeed for him to get back so I can yell at him. And I know you'll be just fine."

With a warning look, Setsuna interrupted quietly, "Minako..."

"I know, I know. I don't really know what happens, but I remember you–at least a little–from before, and everyone needs someone on their side when everything seems to be going against them. Sets here probably has about ten dozen things that can help you, but I thought I might contribute some well-wishing." In less time than it took for her to wink one of those gorgeous blue eyes, a thin gold chain appeared, hanging loosely from her outstretched fingertips. 

Zoisite looked at her dubiously, but Minako seemed to have no qualms. "Now, I know a necklace may not be your choice of accessory, but it serves a dual purpose. When an enemy, someone untrustworthy, or a person who wishes you harm approaches–etc., etc.–it'll heat up. Well, not so much that it'll burn you, but you'll definitely feel it. If not, well, then there's no problem." 

"Okay..." he said slowly, taking the offered object. "Thank you."

"Expressions of gratitude embarrass me," the golden-haired woman said, although her dancing eyes and upturned lips indicated that she didn't feel the least bit embarrassed. Adjusting the bracelet dangling from one slim wrist, her eyes widened as she realized where she was supposed to me. "Uh oh...I distinctly recall Serenity saying something about 'needing my gracious presence' dealing with some ambassador or other."

Dryly, Setsuna said, "That might explain the formal clothing."

She looked down at the sweeping orange gown and wrinkled her dainty nose in distaste. "Ugh, orange. Planetary colors are becoming so boring, and Endymion appropriated the gold from me. As if Earth had much to do with gold besides the Golden Crystal." Turning her attention back to the nearly-forgotten general, who still looked a bit shell-shocked, Minako tilted her head to one side slightly. "Stop looking so forlorn, Zoisite. You have adventure, mystery, and the gods-know-what ahead of you. Any other man would be delighted."

"Any other man may not be leaving his former love behind. Please, Venus–Minako–do you know if she really does hate me?" He couldn't bring himself to say her name, and all three of them knew it. He was grateful when they didn't comment.

She blinked twice, taken aback. "Where did you get _that_ idea from?"

"Well, she didn't exactly look at me, and...she's...different."

"So are you, you dolt," Minako retorted with a note of teasing affection in her voice. "Ami may not know how she feels about you after seeing you–and it was so sudden, and only for a few minutes–but she definitely doesn't hate you."

At a loss after her words, the only thing his stunned brain could come up with was, "Thank you. You've–you've aged well. Wisely."

Minako, who had been expecting different words, had to blink before she began to giggle. Curtseying gracefully (he bowed reflexively in response and turned pale with the horror when he realized what he had said a moment later), she replied, "Thank you, I think. One always hopes that aging will bring wisdom. Was that meant to be a compliment?"

Since he still seemed to be having trouble articulating, Setsuna gracefully saved him. "I believe so, Mina. Remember: pure and cleansing as water, refreshing as a stream, and honest as rainfall. He can't help being a blunt blockhead."

"Just so." The blonde woman smiled at his indignant stare. "I really should be going now, before Serenity has my head. She's aged, too, Zoisite–did you notice? Gracefully, wisely, and wonderfully. Good luck, and no matter what other people say, there are still those who will stand behind you. Don't forget to wear the chain. Don't take it off, no matter what, unless you _want_ to defeat its purpose. Good bye." Waving cheerfully at them both, she winked one sparkling blue eye at them and disappeared in the time of one of Zoisite's increasingly-rapid heartbeats.

Laughing at him, Setsuna settled herself to wait for the next senshi. All of them were biding their time to either come and wish him luck or rage at him and tell him that he should be age-old dust by now. "You know, Zoisite," she began conversationally, "you're lucky that your verbal stumbling chose this opportune moment to embarrass you. Any other woman besides Minako might not have taken it so well. I hope you'll be over it by the time, say, Rei or Haruka come around. You remember Mars and Uranus, don't you?" 

His response was short and to-the-point profanity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blond-haired man looked after his protector of sorts apprehensively as she left to answer another silvery chime of unseen bells. Once she was out of sight, he sighed and buried his face in his hands–which, he noticed a little distractedly, were shaking. Tugging at his hair, as if he was trying to rip it out by the roots, he wondered when everything had gone so wrong. Ah, right, the minute he had suddenly awakened from his hellish nightmares of death and been dumped at the so-called mercy of Neo-Queen Serenity and Neo-King Endymion. After his latest run-in with them, Zoisite wondered if he would ever be able to think of them as "Endy" and "Sere" again. 

His brain, dulled by death and shock, was slowly beginning to awaken to its old sarcasm and cynicism once more, but he still couldn't understand the events that had come to pass...and then he heard a voice that made his heart unsure whether it wanted to race or stop. 

"Setsuna, no–please–I really can't..."

"Why not?" 

Zoisite wracked his brain trying to remember when, or if, he heard Setsuna sound so sharp before. He was attempting to block out that first voice, the voice he could have identified in his sleep...

"I don't want to talk to him; I don't want to see him." 

Well, it was certainly a change to hear the fearful anxiety and near panic in her voice. The last time Zoisite had seen her, she had been perfectly composed, and the only thing that had convinced him that she hadn't been a statuette of ice had been her movement and quick agreement to his sentence.

"Why? Why, Ami? Are you afraid to face him?" 

He turned to face the wall with agony. Setsuna had just _had_ to say her name, hadn't she? When he came face to face with a leering skull, however, his eyes widened, and he whirled around to catch a glimpse of wispy blue material wafting through the crack of a door. The sight nearly killed him. She, the great love of his life (or was it lives now?), was so close, yet so far, and if that damned door would just open a bit more, he would be able to see more than just that enticing scrap of her past floor-length gown.

"No! I'm not afraid of facing him."

He could envision the stubbornness of her dainty little chin as she faced the Timekeeper, her deep blue eyes shining defiantly. Fortunately for him, she had never been able to lie looking him straight in the eye, but he recalled a time when she had led the politicians in a wonderful little dance of words. 

"Then say his name and look upon him," Setsuna challenged. 

There was a long silence then, and Zoisite could see more trembling of the wafting silken skirt than the infrequent gusts of the Corridors of Time warranted; his breath caught in his throat as he anticipated the answer with both heartbreaking longing and nervous dread. 

"Ami, think of how hard it must be for that poor boy to be sent out like that from people he once loved and served–and, most importantly, from a woman he loved. I know that he betrayed you, but there's a reason it happened. If you don't give him a chance, you'll never find out. He _must_ survive and return here. If he doesn't, the rest of the Shittenou won't return, either, and Crystal Tokyo will fall without them. The senshi compose the pillars of strength that hold up our world and guard the monarchs, but you need to be complete, to be happy, to work with partners worthy of you." 

What her reply was, the ex-general couldn't make out, but he could tell it was very much under her breath and distinctly unappreciated by her fellow senshi. 

After a hushed but heated argument, which he couldn't hear (he suspected Pluto had purposely done some little trick or other to keep him from overhearing things he wasn't supposed to know yet–or at all), Setsuna stalked back in the room. Her deep garnet eyes threw sparks as she muttered under her breath. Finally, she threw something small and light at him unexpectedly, but his newly-awakened mind remembered the training of old times; it was a sort of reflex action that he caught it. Zoisite stared at what looked to be an opaque object made of crystal or glass, shaped like a water or tear drop, then glanced up at the green-haired woman questioningly. 

In response to his look, Setsuna explained, "It's meant to be worn as a pendant, hence the reason for the hole at the top. You can put it on Venus's chain. I'm not exactly sure what it'll do, but it's probably concealing some powers or secrets. But I could be wrong. It might just be for remembrance...a reminder."

"Does she even _want_ me to come back? Alive?" the blond-haired man asked. Despite his skeptical tone, he unclasped Venus's chain from his neck and put the sapphire-hued pendant on with reverence. The light it cast on his hands reminded him of a shallow pool, sunlit and sparkling as sunlight played upon it but still distinctly blue.

Looking tired, the Gatekeeper pressed her fingers to her temples and muttered, "Do I _look_ like I have all the answers, Zoisite? Never mind, don't answer that. I know what you generals and the senshi think about me. But to answer your question, I think she'd prefer that you come back alive to answer her questions than in pieces or not at all."

As the chimes rang again, he glared after her retreating form balefully and mumbled, "How very reassuring." Suddenly, he heard what sounded suspiciously like a scuffle and crossed the room to the door in a few quick strides of his long limbs. Opening the door a crack wider, he peered out and groaned out loud at the sight that met his eyes: Haruka, esteemed senshi of Uranus, appeared to be putting up a marvelous fight to get to him. Luckily, Michiru and Setsuna were holding her back quite forcefully, but he didn't like the way her sky-blue eyes seemed to burn like the dangerous fires that Jadeite used to create. What he wouldn't give at the moment for his friend's cheerful optimism and never-ending supply of wide grins and jokes, he couldn't fathom.

"I say we just get rid of him now, forever. That would save us the trouble of killing him again. Then the other three won't have to come back–although I'd enjoy smashing Jadeite's sneering face. He's a danger, and he won't even be confined within Crystal Tokyo. Imagine the trouble he could get into! The winds bring news that dark forces are stirring again, and they have to be connected with his reappearance. I always knew the Shittenou were bad news; I suspected it from the start!"

"You knew nothing of the kind, Haruka. Now, you know I said I wouldn't let you come if you didn't behave," Michiru admonished her, hiding a smile. Her expression became more solemn when she met Zoicite's eyes, but she seemed to be more neutral and cautious than annoyed. That was good, at the very least. He didn't think he could withstand another extremity like Minako or Haruka. "Zoisite, if you wouldn't mind coming a little closer–"

When he moved to oblige, Setsuna said sharply, "Watch that crack!"

He looked down and saw that the pieces between the hallway and the room he had been in were separating. Between the rooms, he could see dark, lightless space, and gulped. He was in a rather precarious position, with one foot in the hall and one back in the storage room. Leaping over and managing not to fall flat on his face, he scowled at Setsuna and asked, "Is it always like this?" 

"No. Time is becoming unsettled," she replied shortly.

"And it's all _your_ fault."

No one contradicted Haruka's grouchy statement, and Zoisite found that it was possible for him to feel even worse than he already did. And he thought he'd reached rock bottom when Ami had visited.

"Well," the aqua-haired woman said, saving him again, "since a senshi's duty is to see that justice is carried out, especially for us Outers, we've decided to even the odds a little by giving you a little...help. We have to do it, whether we like it or not, which is why Haruka has decided that you'll need these two daggers." As she held them out, she cautioned, "Be very careful with them. They've recently been sharpened."

"By yours truly," the sandy-haired blonde smirked.

To his surprise, Setsuna smiled as well. "Are you trying to injure him ahead of time with his own weapons? Tsk, tsk, Haruka. That's not very nice."

She shrugged, seeming a bit calmer, and stepped back. "If I absolutely have to accept this, I'm going to have my fair say in it. And I've got plenty of things I want expressed."

Both Michiru and Setsuna shot her an annoyed look while he pondered over the meaning of her words.

"Anyway," Neptune said pointedly, "I have something a bit safer for you." Handing him a ring that seemed to be made of silver and gold twisted and twined together with an aquamarine set at the top of their junction, she continued, "As long as your wear it, you'll be safe from most of the dangers of the oceans–drowning, for one. But it has to be on your person to work."

"Ah. Like Venus's chain." Slipping it onto his finger, he bowed his thanks, and they disappeared in a brilliant sphere of blue-green light. Blinking in the glare, he sighed resignedly and spoke almost to himself, "I'd forgotten how bright a senshi's teleportation could be."

"Two at once makes it worse," Setsuna said knowingly.

"What about all eight?"

"You've forgotten that with Serenity and Endymion, that would be ten. _And_ with their respective crystals..."

"I shudder to think about it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the end of the day, Zoisite felt even more confused than before. Minako had been his first well-wisher, Ami had refused to see or talk to him, Haruka had wanted him killed even before he left, Michiru and Rei seemed to share the same fatalistic air of "Well, if Serenity, Endymion, and Ami already said it's going to be this way, we have to allow it," Hotaru had genuine hopes for his success but told him she feared that ominous prophecy (which, of course, neither she nor Pluto would reveal to him) would hold true, and Makoto had been determinedly silent and emotionless. Among his luggage, besides some other things Setsuna had packed for him (he'd definitely have more than a few surprises among the way), were the chain of warning from Venus with Mercury's pendant, Mars's two protective wards that were activated at night if and when he lit a fire, a sturdy oak staff from Jupiter, a silvery-greenish crystal placed on top of the staff (they seemed to be permanently fused together now) from Serenity, a sword with some magic runes scrawled all over its blade, hilt, and sheath from Endymion (although it was nowhere near as good as his general's sword had been), Uranus's exquisitely sharp daggers, Neptune's ring, and a very handy medicinal kit from Hotaru. Ah, yes, and a map from Pluto. He didn't bother to ask where or how she'd made it, but he did notice that it was constantly modifying itself as things changed, and he wasn't quite sure he liked that. 

Nevertheless, it was late at night (the space of the Time Stream seemed to have darkened, but it could have been a figment of his imagination), and he wanted a good rest before setting off the next day. Pluto had offered a spare bunk he found to be comfortable enough, but exactly where she was, he had no clue. Probably monitoring the endless flow of Time, he decided, turned over, and promptly fell into spiraling darkness...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 3

Zoisite looked around him, feeling very confused. The last thing he remembered was collapsing on the bed in a spare chamber of Setsuna's, somewhere in the Time Gate. Now, the plain, sparse room with solid-looking walls had been replaced by a room that looked as if it was built out of crystal. There were few furnishings in the room, and in the center was a massive crystalline table with two chairs at one end and nothing at the other. The chairs resembled thrones, and they were _not_ made of crystal (neither were the other eight chairs, four on either side of the table). All of the seats looked extremely comfortable with their mounds of cushions. A person could have sat in them for hours without feeling too stiff, and he didn't doubt that they would have been suitable to sleep in.

Slowly, he began to take in other details of those chairs. The two throne-like chairs had different symbols carved on their backs, and the one on the left had gold cushions fringed with blue, green, and brown, while the one on the right had white ones edged with silver. On the left side of the table, there were four chairs that held the symbols of the Outer Planets, and those pillows went from deep red and olive green to purple and black, aquamarine and navy blue, and sky blue and gold. Facing them were the Inners' seats, with pillows of orange rimmed with dark blue, red with purple, medium blue with lighter blue, and green with pink. Zoisite's memories were still foggy, and while he was certain they weren't seated by rank, he couldn't figure out why the chairs were arranged in that order until he looked at the pairs facing each other: Pluto and Venus, Saturn and Mars, Neptune and Mercury, and Uranus and Jupiter. 

Before he could figure out why he was there, the doors at either end of the room opened, and senshi began trailing in. Feeling as if it was Judgement Day part two, Zoisite looked wildly around him and tried to run. He found that he was permanently fixed in place, and he could not even twitch a finger. The only that worked seemed to be his ears and his eyes (and his nose), and he found that even his mouth had betrayed him. But the senshi didn't seem to see him; no one spoke to him. His fear faded slightly as his anxiety increased. All of a sudden, Setsuna's piercing garnet eyes met his, and he felt reassured, somewhat. And then Endymion and Serenity arrived.

Everyone sat in their seats, looking dignified and gracious...until the squabbling began.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had begun in good accord...sort of. "The first topic of discussion," Serenity began, after a brief and to-the-point introduction of the main subjects (Zoisite, Zoisite, and Zoisite), "is interference. None of you are to intrude upon his quest. Is that clear? If any of you teleport outside Crystal Tokyo without there being a legitimate, proven cause, we will be forced to discipline you. We've told you that in order to make the deal a little more fair, he would be gifted with a few magic objects, and Setsuna has told me that this has been carried out. We're making it very clear right now that apart from those things, he has to succeed or fail on his own. Does anyone disagree?"

Everyone shook their heads, but after a few seconds, Makoto inquired, "Are you planning to monitor the quest, Sere?"

Startled, she merely shook her head and looked at her husband, who answered, "Well, we weren't planning on it, but if you feel it should be..." 

"We've already demeaned him enough, minna. No general in the past would have stood for this, and it would be too much like spying on him. Watching him every second of the quest would be a total invasion of privacy."

Quietly, Rei interjected, "No general in the past betrayed us so completely. If you'll forgive me, Serenity, I think you're letting your heart overwhelm your sense."

The blonde leader of the senshi replied, "Come on, Rei. We've been harsh enough, and he deserves a chance. We still don't know what really happened in the Silver Millennium, and it's Crystal Tokyo now. You've died and been reborn before, and you should know what it's like. The poor guy must be feeling totally lost."

Zoisite, who had been sweating for the past few minutes, felt a little calmer. However, he still didn't like the idea of traveling, knowing that he was being watched by critical, hostile eyes that could see his every act and hear his every word.

"I think you're being biased, Minako. You're giving him way too much support and trust, and you're forgetting that his traitorous acts brought down the life we knew. Everything was perfect. The world was at peace. Had it not been for the generals' defection, we would have been able to defeat Metallia."

"You can't say that, Haruka," her aqua-haired partner pointed out gently, "we have no proof. If you say the Silver Millennium wouldn't have been destroyed then, what if a stronger, more powerful enemy came? Sooner or later, the kingdom would have fallen. Crystal Tokyo has been foretold for millennia. You have to let things go."

Makoto sighed and remarked, "I don't know about the rest of you, but for my part, I don't want to monitor him simply because I have better things to do with my time. Can you imagine how much time we would have to sacrifice to be watching over him twenty-four seven? It's not that I don't want to make the effort, really; I'm just saying that there are more worthwhile things we could be doing."

Feeling a headache coming on, Hotaru touched her forehead with a hand that was glowing purple. When the pounding receded, she said, "The most important topic of discussion was no monitoring. I don't know about the rest of you, but I have other things waiting for me–like sleep. So I suggest we take a vote. Majority wins."

"Good suggestion, Hotaru," Setsuna smiled gratefully. 

"What if there's a tie?" Makoto asked. "There are ten of us."

After a few minutes of contemplation, Minako suggested, "If there's a tie, why don't we let Ami decide? I mean, Zoisite is supposed to be her soulmate."

Everyone agreed, and Ami looked less than pleased at the prospect, not appreciating the attention and being put on the spot. So far, she had been quieter than usual, not wanting to be accused of extreme favoritism or bias.

Zoisite, however, didn't mind in the least. He looked forward to understanding this strange, icy statuette of a woman that had replaced his sweet, shy, caring princess. He wanted to know how her mind worked and what she thought of him.

"All right," she agreed reluctantly.

Nodding decisively, Minako announced, "All in favor of monitoring the quest, raise your hands." Haruka and Rei raised their hands. "Overwhelming majority says no. Need I ask for those who are not in favor?"

Endymion shook his head. "And the interference? Do we need you to swear on that?"

The raven-haired woman sighed loudly, beginning to feel impatient. "I'm beginning to think this may take all night after all. Since we all agree not to interfere, it's not really necessary. Ami, what do you think?" she inquired, turning to her friend, who was seated right next to her.

Biting her lip, she replied, "No. You're right. We've already agreed, so there's no point in swearing on it. Let's just get on with it."

Zoisite beamed at her, although she couldn't see, and missed the appraising look that Setsuna directed towards the younger woman. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unfortunately, from that point on, things went very much downhill when the subject of the tests themselves was broached. Minako was almost forced to the point of pulling rank on Haruka, who insisted that she was prejudiced because she wanted Kunzite back. Rei's temper was wearing dangerously thin; Makoto had thumped the table enough times to dent it, and had Serenity and Endymion not instructed the craftsmen that worked on it that it had to be extremely resilient, considering that the senshi would be using it as their most private discussion room, it would probably have been crushed after the many attacks on it. Michiru and Hotaru had their hands full trying to mediate peace, and Setsuna was blocking out all the noise around her and thinking about the Time Stream. Compared to the rest of them, Ami seemed awake as if she had just gotten up, and she was in full control of herself. She sat perfectly still and replied coolly when the other occupants of the room demanded her opinion or judgement. Her face impassively still, and what thoughts were going through her brilliant mind, Zoisite could not fathom. But he felt nervous.

Serenity was so tired of things that she had drifted off several times and had to be woken by Endymion, who looked like he would scream if he heard the words "general" or "Zoisite" again. He was probably cursing the fact that he had been born the Prince of the Earth, as his station required that he be guarded by four protectors. 

For his part, Zoisite was extremely relieved that none of them could see them. All of them, even Minako, would most likely have throttled him just so they could forget about the problem and just get some sleep–it was around four in the morning already. 

He was also having a horrible time, and his mind was tired. From his vantage point at the opposite end of the table from Serenity and Endymion, he could see everything. The problem was, his ears would become mysteriously clogged when anything too specific about the tests he would be facing was discussed. 

The worst part was, he hadn't even known he was going to be tested. But of course, he thought sourly, he shouldn't have thought that he would get away _that_ easily. Oh, no. Instead of just being thrown to goodness-knows-what was outside the gates of the pristine city, he was going to have these little tricks and traps awaiting him along the way. And they weren't even planning on telling him about that. If it hadn't been for Setsuna–he assumed that since she had been able to see him, or his spirit, or whatever part of him was intruding in that room, that she had brought him here–he would probably have failed. Miserably. Zoisite sighed inwardly. He owed her a lot, and he wasn't sure that he would survive long enough to repay her. 

From the snippets of conversation that he had been allowed to hear, the gen deduced that he would undergo ten tests (one from each person present). He would start with the first clue, and following that path to a location, he would encounter the first challenge along the way. At the end of each task set him, he would retrieve the next clue, until he reached the end of the last trial (if he made it that far), where he would recover the object he was supposed to retrieve and return to Crystal Tokyo. It all sounded nice and simple. But he knew it wouldn't be. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Zoisite. Zoisite, it's time to go back now." A gentle but commanding voice awoke him, and he blinked sleepily. 

It was as if he had fallen asleep on his feet...and his face was mashed against the giant crystal table around which all the senshi had been gathered. Now, the room was deserted with the lights dimmed, the chairs empty of their occupants. Only he and Setsuna remained behind. "Ugh," he grunted. "What am I doing here? Oh, good, I can talk again."

She smiled at him. "I brought you here, remember? There were some things you needed to see–and hear. Go back to bed now. You need your rest."

"What...time is it?"

"Five A.M. You have another hour or so before you'll want to set off."

He groaned but allowed her to pull his spiritual self to his feet. When they reached the empty room in the realm of the Time Gates again, he blinked in confusion and shock when he saw his physical body lying there, apparently asleep. "Wha–?"

"Hush," Setsuna reprimanded softly, her voice falling over him in waves, and he began to feel more exhausted than he had ever been. "You do remember what you heard last night, don't you?"

"Yes, but..."

"No. No questions. As long as you remember." Her smile faded until she was left with a slightly sad expression on her face, and she waved her hand towards his sleeping body. "Shoo. Your body may be resting, but it's time for your mind to join it. It's been quite a strain for you to be awake so long, and your mind is overactive as it is."

"Was it all a dream?" he mumbled, as he sank into his body with relief, feeling as if he had lost and just now found a indispensable part of him.

"No, Zoisite. It was no dream....sleep now." Her quiet, velvety tones followed him into approaching mist of slumber.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The minute he opened his eyes the next morning, he knew it would be a bad day. A sense of dread and foreboding already hung over him, and he felt tired and as if he had only just gone to sleep. Rubbing his eyes so hard that it was almost like he was scrubbing him, he got out of bed and promptly tripped over a large knapsack, which had a large scroll sticking out of the top of it. After he had collapsed on his bed, curses issuing forth from his mouth all the while, he massaged his feet until the pain and buzzing faded.

An amused voice said from the doorway, "I assume you didn't sleep well, Zoisite?"

His eyes were red and bloodshot as he glowered at her. "Mmph. Where did this come from? It wasn't here when I went to sleep."

"I packed for you. It looks big now, and extremely heavy, but your load is lighter than it looks."

Glumly, he replied, "Maybe the physical aspect...but nothing else."

"Zoisite. Is this any way for you to begin your journey? Think of the excitement...the adventure...back in the Silver Millennium, all of you generals would have been wild to get away from the palace and civilization. I remember a time when you would have begged Endymion to let you try this challenge. You couldn't find enough interesting things to do in your labs anymore at one point," Setsuna reminisced at length.

His laugh was hollow as he retorted, "Yeah, well, since he's the one who assigned ordered me on this quest, there's no point in asking. Things are a lot more attractive when you have the choice to do them or not."

The Timekeeper sighed impatiently. "I think I've been a little too understanding of the situation, Zoisite. You're sulking, time is wasting, and if you want to get back here as soon as possible, you'd better go. Maybe it wasn't entirely your fault that the Silver Millennium collapsed, but you and your fellow Shittenou had a hand in it, Zoisite. Think about it."

"I don't remember what happened! No one does! All right. I'm leaving. Are you happy now?" he exclaimed furiously, shouldering his back and making for the door.

"I know," Setsuna said softly, stopping him in his tracks. Before he could ask, however, she warned, "I will never tell you what happened, Zoisite. Serenity, Endymion, and all the senshi have questioned me several times. No one will ever know–unless the time is right."

With an offended scowl, he stalked from the room, not noticing the rift that opened in the ground. He fell through with a startled yell, waving his arms so he looked like a windmill. A few seconds later, he landed on his behind right before the gates. Glaring up in the direction of the heavens, Zoisite dusted himself off, noting sadly that his clothes were not the general's uniform that he was used to. They were anonymous dark clothes that would be easy to travel in, as they were made of a strange material he was unaccustomed to that shifted noiselessly with his body movements. Then, squaring his shoulders, he stepped forth to the gate. 

Just as he was about to cross, a scroll appeared before him, and two voices sounded in unison with each other in his mind. 'Take the scroll, Zoisite. It will direct you to the first location, where you will receive another clue.'

'Thank you,' he telepathed back automatically. It was a jolting sensation, for it had been a long time since he had talked mind-to-mind with anyone. Too long.

'Good luck.'

Endymion and Serenity seemed to be speaking with genuine good will and in softer tones than the day before, so he was brash enough to inquire, 'May I say a quick farewell to Ami?'

The queen's voice was regretful but firm as she replied, 'I'm sorry, Zoisite, but she took leave of the palace and Crystal Tokyo earlier this morning. She requested permission to return to Mercury, and the length of her stay is indefinite. She requested that we not contact her unless in the case of an emergency, but she has promised to check back with whoever is on duty every other day or so." Her tone took on a meaningful emphasis as she added, "We believe that your sudden return may have distressed her. She was...not quite her usual self. Farewell, Zoisite.'

And so, the first step beyond the gates meant much less to Zoisite than it ordinarily would have, as his thoughts were preoccupied by memoirs of a blue-haired woman who he could no longer claim to love or know any longer. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	2. Chapter 4: The Black Shadow

Chapter 4-The Black Shadow

            Zoisite had walked away from Crystal Tokyo and its pristine beauty readily. At last, he felt equal to his task. There was nothing for him in the cold crystal city; no hint of his shadowy past would be found in its artificial flawlessness. Its glistening walls were without warmth or solace for him, and there resided a lingering darkness in the utopian metropolis. He could sense the dusky shadows clustered in the interiors of crystal buildings, and it unnerved him. Crystal reflected light but generated none of its own.

            Crystal Tokyo felt too new to him. Its surfaces were hard and gleaming; it was all angular sharpness rather than soft curves. The light that played off the dazzling facets was piercing and chill. He had worked with crystals before–he had been able to grow them in his laboratory. There was no competition in their uniform lattices for the beauty of the natural world.

            His power had been firmly rooted in the earth, and there was a slight itch in the back of his mind as his eyes took in the fields of grass. The grass seemed almost too green and too perfect. Each individual blade was painfully straight. The multicolored flowers that sprouted everywhere looked alike to him, and they were small and commonplace. It was pretty...but it didn't suit Zoisite's tastes. A wisp of memory teased his mind...

*flashback*

            Zoisite was fifteen years old, awkward and unsophisticated. He had lived in a remote little village at the foot of the Alona Mountains all his life–until the day that his power had broken out. 

            He was short and skinny for his age; this coupled with his effeminate looks made him a preferred target for the bullies. One day, he faced down a group of three burly, older classmates from school with his glasses hanging lopsidedly off one ear, his clothes torn, and blood pouring down his face. A surge of brilliant green power had activated the seeds of crawling vines in the ground, and they had grabbed onto his tormentors–and refused to let go. 

            Kunzite's father, the previous High General of the Earth, had been passing through the mountain range with his son, who had been a year older than Zoisite. Kunzite had grown up with the heavy burden of his parent's expectations his entire life, and he'd borne it uncomplainingly. His father had recognized the power in Zoisite that marked him as a future general and taken him back to the palace; along the way, he and Kunzite had become fast friends. 

            Now Zoisite stood before the king, a charismatic man with ebony hair and dark, commanding eyes. He had shaken like a leaf, and his mumbled answers brought mocking laughter from most of the court present. He had wanted to die then, as he heard the rumors circulating that this countrified bumpkin couldn't possibly become a general. Kunzite had stood by his father quietly, as was his place, and Zoisite misinterpreted the compassion in his eyes as pity. 

            He had fled, as soon as possible, and found himself in a maze of greenery. His heart sang with happiness: he was used to working with gardens, although he had begun working the fields with his father a few years ago. Of course, there were no crops growing here: there were beautiful flowers with exotic scents. Zoisite's fingers brushed the leaves and petals gently, and bathed in the sunlight, he felt much calmer. 

            Suddenly, a voice behind him spoke. "So you're the plant boy."

            He whirled around, hunching defensively. But he met the speaker's eyes without fear and was pleasantly surprised: the sparkling, azure blue eyes crinkled at the corners, and the expression on the blond's face was open and friendly. 

            There were two others with him: one had brown hair, the other black. The latter nodded at him in a amiable matter, and his sapphire blue eyes shone like the color of the Assana Lake back home in summer. The brunet's expression was less easy to read, but his navy blue eyes were kind as he remarked, "Ignore Jade. He's only teasing–it's basically the only thing he _can_ do." Without a hint of surprise on his face, the brown-haired boy sidestepped a light punch from Jade.

            "I'm sorry you weren't welcomed to the palace properly," the raven-haired boy said, hooking his foot around Jade's ankle in a swift, subtle movement. He seemed not to notice the blond's affronted yelp as he went sprawling in the dirt (mercifully missing the flowers), but a smile began to tug at his mouth. He held out his hand to Zoisite, who looked at it uncertainly.

            Jadeite, who had recovered himself, bounced up, grabbed Zoisite's hand, and began shaking it energetically. "I'm Jadeite, master of the universe; this dummy who thinks he knows everything is Nephrite, and–"

            "This is Prince Endymion," a stern voice cut in. Kunzite was close to precious few people in the world, and he had been concerned for the younger boy when he had shot out of the throne room. While they had been traveling together, he had resolved to keep an eye out for Zoisite, but he'd had no intention of being a nursemaid. For one thing, Kunzite was busy enough as it was, and for another, Zoisite had his pride. 

            Kunzite was relieved to see who the other two boys in their company were; he nodded to Nephrite and ignored Jadeite. But his attention was focused on Endymion and Zoisite. Would the prince accept this youth as his future general?

            Zoisite turned pale. He was done for. Why hadn't he recognized the prince?? Idiot! he scolded himself furiously. He only looks just like the king you just saw...they even have the same hair! And here was Kunzite to witness his stupidity. He dropped to his knees and bowed his head. "My apologies, your highness."

            "I don't want you to bow to me, Zoisite. I need friends–true friends–more than servitors," Endymion said softly, holding out his hand.

            The blond-haired boy scrambled to his feet. Unruly tendrils of hair fell into his eyes, and he began to extend his own hand–until he realized it was streaked with dirt. He began scrubbing it furiously on his worn trousers until Endymion grasped the dusty palm firmly. Kunzite smiled, plainly relieved, and Nephrite grinned openly. Their ranks were complete now...and the touching moment lasted all of two seconds, because Jadeite's next action was to tackle Endymion (repayment for tripping him), and a good-natured scuffling match commenced.

*end flashback*

            Zoisite blinked dazedly as his attention spun back to the present world. He was on his knees, and his hands dug into the grass, uprooting some clumps so that light brown earth showed through. Shaking, he got to his feet. His heart was heavy as he looked out across the foreign landscape that sparked no further remembrance... 

            He had forgotten how much a part of him his fellow Shittenou were, and while they were dead now, he was not. The realization left a gaping, unhealed wound in his heart. That precious gem of a memory had given him a glimpse of a happier past with those he regarded as brothers, but it had also increased the weight of the burden on his shoulders: if he failed, they would never get the chance to redeem themselves. He could not allow that to happen. Zoisite stored away the memory of their faces and their mannerisms as a safeguard against weakness and cowardice; they would be his spiritual protectors along this journey.

            Reminded of his power by Jadeite's teasing nickname, Zoisite reached for his power mentally–and found an emptiness there. He tried again and again, wondering if he had done something wrong. Where was it? Where was that glorious, verdant green lit with gold sparks? 

            There was no hint of it in his mind. Without its presence, Zoisite felt naked and abandoned. His anger was white-hot, a raging lightning storm inside him. How could they have taken it from him? 

            When the blazing fury inside him finally gave out, and he stood there feeling empty and alone. The Endymion of the past, the Endymion he had known, would never have stripped him of his power. What kind of person had he become? Like Ami, Endymion had become a stranger to him. Strangely enough, Endymion's forsaking him in cold indifference had hurt even more than Ami's unresponsive coolness. 

            Zoisite suspected that it was because he felt that Ami had more of a right to be angry: he had betrayed her and their love. But what exactly had he done to Endymion? he wondered. He let out frustrated sigh–if only he remembered the events of the past... 

            And they hadn't even told him that they were taking his power from him. Dully, Zoisite thought that the monarchs of Crystal Tokyo–he had to think of their present incarnations that way–must really want him dead to set him a dangerous and possibly lethal task with nothing but his own two hands to protect himself with. That train of thinking stopped him short: did he still remember how to fight? He stood there panicking for a few minutes until he felt a chill iciness on his skin. 

            Zoisite fished out Minako's chain from where he had concealed it under his shirt. It wasn't what was causing him discomfort–besides, it was supposed to warm up when there was someone wishing him ill nearby, not freeze him to death. Dangling from the thin golden chain was Ami's pendant. He still hadn't been able to determine whether it was a tear or merely an innocent drop of water, but it was glowing with a soft blue light. When he cupped it in the palm of his hand, its radiance increased, but the maelstrom of negative emotion in him dissipated. 

            He was left calm and soothed–not in a dreamy state, but with a clear mind. Zoisite slipped the necklace and pendant back under his shirt so that only part of the chain showed. The pendant no longer felt icy, and it rested against his skin with a comfortable, light pressure. 

            Once more, he turned back to his problem: could he recall his martial arts lessons? In the depths of his mind, assurance remained. He shifted automatically into a fighting stance with his weight firmly on both feet. He knew what he could do if an enemy attacked him, and although there was the knowledge that he could kill with his bare hands, he was relieved to discover that he remembered many more ways to disarm an opponent. The motions felt natural to him, and he moved almost instinctively.

            Zoisite remembered, then, about the sword Endymion had given him–and felt like an idiot. For ten years of his life during the Silver Millennium, he had never gone anywhere without it buckled at his waist. Feeling foolish, he rummaged through his pack to see what else he had forgotten about–he didn't think he needed Uranus's daggers on his person, but he slipped Neptune's ring onto his finger. The aquamarine glinted brightly in the sun, and he stood up straight again with his sword (in its sheath) at his waist and the staff in his hand. He decided that he would have to wait to try a few passes with his sword later: it was time to get a move-on. 

            Belated, Zoisite remembered the task at hand. He untied the emerald green ribbon of the tiny parchment scroll he had been given and squinted at the words. 

_Un frêne. Une mare._

_Les deux sont un combinaison_

_D'une signification du nom d'endroit._

            Zoisite cursed inwardly. Ordinarily, he liked solving puzzles, but he wasn't in the mood for brainwork at the moment. He realized that the clue was not in Standard Terran–or at least the Standard Terran he remembered. It was in French, a language that had been spoken on the European continent. He wondered if it was still spoken in Crystal Tokyo and hoped that his translating skills were up to par.

            Sighing, he realized that the best thing to do would be to cross the gray divide labeled on his map and try to figure out the clue later. An area labeled "The Boundary" ringed Crystal Tokyo. Outside the innocuous grey expanse lay land rich in rivers, mountains, and other landforms. It appeared that he would encounter the divide in another hour.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Zoisite stopped short when the first bare patch of land met his eyes. The landscape ahead was charred to ruins. Ashes lifted off the ground by the breeze blew into his face, and he coughed for a few minutes, trying to clear the smoky odor. Grimly, he walked on, his staff barely touching the ground. There was a feeling of dark contamination here. 

            He recognized the aftermath of power-filled magical battles, and he wondered what had happened here. Surely Endymion and Serenity would never have had reason to punish their people to this extent. Was the entire area that had been marked on his map, sectioning off the crystal city, like this?

            As he went on, he saw a few scattered graves and several skeletons of the houses that had once stood upon this land. Zoisite frowned as he walked on through the debris, pausing to swipe at his watering eyes every so often. The acrid smells of fire and decay were thick, and he hurried the pace of his strides, eager to leave this place. The memory, however, lingered in his mind. His heart cried out against the defilement of what must have once been beautiful, fertile land.

            He knew the land would have been rich and green, because as he went on, he saw purple-blue mountains, capped with fresh snow, on the horizon. The people seemed to have reverted back to times of old; the lodgings here were constructed of wood or stone. There were acres and acres of farmland. 

            Zoisite had seen no way for the inhabitants of Crystal Tokyo to feed themselves, and he was beginning to wonder what kind of system had been devised to accommodate these two vastly different worlds. It was as if they originated from lengthily-distanced points of time to be flung together on the same planet. Zoisite had a feeling that whatever arrangement had been made was not a comfortable one for either party. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            He had stopped at the first town he came to for lunch and was suddenly made aware of how fortunate he was that Setsuna had included a tidy sum among the things she had deemed necessary for the journey. Zoisite sighed as he flung himself across the roots of a great oak tree. He disliked being dependent on what he saw as charity.

            Self-sufficiency had always been an important issue for him, more than it had been for the other Shittenou, because he had arrived at the palace much later than them. By his mid-twenties, however, Zoisite had amassed a personal fortune for himself in the Silver Millennium. He owned nothing now, and he didn't like the feeling. He was used to having something to fall back on, just in case. But it seemed that he didn't have much of a choice.

            Zoisite reminded himself, grimly, that he would keep track of how much he owed Setsuna. If–_when_ he returned to Crystal Tokyo and found some means of supporting himself, he would begin to repay him debts to her. They were more than monetary: she had given him friendship and understanding where no one else had. She had tried to explain the situation to him. It was frustrating to be punished for an action he couldn't even remember.

            He groped for the pendant on his neck unconsciously, holding it for a few minutes. When he could focus again, he turned his attention back to the clue. Zoisite was relieved to discover that he could decipher the French, even though it took a few tries–some of his attempts at translating made nonsense of the words. Finally, he decided it could read:

_An ash tree. A pool._

_These two are a combination_

_Of the meaning of the name of the place._

            Zoisite unrolled his map and stared at it blankly. There were no mentions of ash trees or pools anywhere. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind: the names of the cities and landmarks on the map were mostly in old Terran, and many of them had other meanings... Like the way "Ami" meant "friend"–or "beloved." Tearing his mind away from that train of thought, he started to wonder if he remembered what the meanings of the places were. 

            At last, as his eyes traveled busily over the parchment page, he was drawn to a black dot by what appeared to be a sea–either that or a very big lake that went off the page. It was named Aesclin Harbor...and the meaning of Aesclin was ash tree pool. Never mind that it didn't make much sense; he was relieved that he finally knew where he was headed. The problem was, it would take several days to get there.

            He didn't let the thought dampen his newfound enthusiasm–Zoisite surged to his feet with renewed vigor and started energetically down the dirt road on his map. His reflexes were still intact, but they were a little rusty. He had looked up at the sky only out of curiosity and to try and gauge the time. There was a lack of awareness of his surroundings present in him. When he had first departed from the gates of Crystal Tokyo, he had neglected to notice the bird of prey swooping high above him. There were no vultures or carrion eaters in the city. As the day dragged on and the shadows lengthened, Zoisite failed to see the darkness that haunted his steps and eclipsed his light. The only thing on his mind was that with luck, he would be at the next village by nightfall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AN: It's been an incredibly long time since the last update...sorry!! ^^;; I'm sorry the end was so...well, ominous. Thank you for the reviews, everyone :)

            I would write faster if I could just come up with Serenity's task for Zoisite. I have all the other senshi's and Endymion's planned out (somewhat), but I have no idea how she could test his "goodness of heart" or something to that extent. Ideas, anyone? ^.~

            Please forgive the French in this chapter. Since it's the only language besides English that I can write in, all of the clues will probably in French (but forgive any grammatical mistakes I make, because my French is quite bad). I'm not good at writing prophecies or riddles, but I'll try to do my best. The reason I _am_ writing the clues in French is because the English version will sound less absurd because it's translated ^.~

            There will be more flashbacks of the Silver Millennium, because I'd like to expand on Zoisite's relationships with the other Shittenou (and possibly Ami). The flashback was possibly my favorite part of this chapter...never mind, it was. ^.~ Next chapter, the introduction of a new female character will be introduced ^^. Please forgive the delay, and thank you for reading! :)

            ~Ice


	3. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Night Visitors

            When Zoisite reached the village at nightfall, they had just begun closing the gates. It was a small, rustic-looking place–and it reminded Zoisite of his home. He stopped a young girl leading a cow home in the street to ask her where the nearest inn was. She brushed aside a curtain of silky brown hair with a blush and pointed out the humble little building to him. He smiled, thanked her for her help, and continued on his way.

            The smile faded as he sighed wistfully. The girl's bashful, admiring smile reminded him painfully of Ami's...she had smiled a smile just like that when they had first met. The old innkeeper, Zecheriah, welcomed him hospitably. He asked for his name only out of curiosity, and Zoisite only hesitated for a minute before giving it to him. 

            He remembered how, in his childhood, an elderly great-uncle of his had owned an inn. Zoisite had worked there in his spare time, bringing in heavy buckets from the well and chopping firewood. In their small village, they had loved greeting visitors and hearing all the news and stories the travelers had to tell.

            Zecheriah's long, gray beard swished amiably over the parchment he was writing on, recording Zoisite's name and his fee. Zoisite handed over the amount, which was a little lower than the price he expected. As Zecheriah hobbled up the hallway before him, Zoisite looked around, seeing ghosts in the shadows cast by flickering lantern light. To get his mind off the past, he asked, "How has business been, Master Zecheriah?"

            "Just call me Zecheriah, lad. Not so bad, no use complaining. We've been getting more and more travelers in these parts, much more than usual in the past few months. They've been getting rowdier and rowdier. Time was that we wouldn't have allowed any roughs in the village. Trade's so poor that we have to let just about anyone in, now.

            Last month, some strange, unshaven men came in and stayed a night. None of them took off their cloaks down here, and they wore gloves all the time. Never seen people like those before. Rude, they were, and dirty. They scared me niece Alayna, and now her parents worry about her being here."

            His face brightened suddenly. "Alayna's a sweet child. Very good girl. She looks up to those sailor senshi in Crystal Tokyo, you know."

            "Does she really? I didn't know they were well-known hereabouts," Zoisite commented neutrally. He felt concerned for the old innkeeper...it must be hard for the old man to be managing the inn without much help.

            "Mmm..."

            Just then, they intercepted a slim, shadowy figure clad in a dark cloak. The stranger was about to disappear down the curving stairwell when Zecheriah called out to her. "Kaliana!"

            She turned around soundlessly, and her soft voice drew them closer. "Master Zecheriah, good evening," she greeted with a graceful bow. "I'm afraid I must be going now."

            "Oh, please wait, Kaliana." Zecheriah puffed up to her with a rather toothless grin. "You must meet young Master Zoisite! He just came in, only around a half an hour after you did. Strange, isn't it? Haven't had any travelers for two weeks and the two of you come in on the same night!"

            "It's a pleasure," Kaliana told him, her voice low and musical. 

            "The pleasure is all mine," he replied, instinctively falling into the suave tone he had adopted to charm courtiers in the palace. Jadeite, he recalled, had taught him while Nephrite watched in amusement.

            A look of displeasure flickered over her face, and when he realized what he had done, he felt like digging his grave on the spot. He was not supposed to be flirting with strange women....especially not now, given his current circumstances.

            Zecheriah didn't notice a thing and prattled on cheerfully. "Oh, my, I've forgotten my manners now. Zoisite, this is Miss Auriar. She's a beautiful young lady, isn't she?"

            To Zoisite's surprise, Kaliana flushed a delicate rose pink before turning away abruptly. "I must go. Good evening, Master Zecheriah, Master...Zoisite." 

            She vanished like a wisp of smoke, and Zoisite was left with a fleeting impression of eyes that were the icy blue, almost white color of sunlit glaciers and some very long strands of hair of the same hue. 

            "She's modest, that one," he commented. "But she's a fighter. Must be from near the border–all these newfangled notions about women fighting are more than I can take."

            Zoisite raised his eyebrows. "I see."

            "Now, here's your room," Zecheriah said, hobbling forward with a grin that revealed a noticeable lack of teeth. 

            "Thank you very much, sir."

            "Not at all, not at all...you'll join us for supper, won't you?"

            He heard the old man's slow steps down the hall as Zecheriah whistled cheerfully. Zoisite looked around his room, which was pretty much what he had expected: a table and some chairs carved from rough wood, a dented metal basin for washing up, a cracked, dusty looking glass, and a moth-eaten mattress stuffed with corn husks. He shrugged carelessly and put all his traveling gear down before walking over to the window. It was latched shut, but he opened it to let in the cool night breeze...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Zoisite did not see Kaliana Auriar at dinner, which was a quiet affair. He sat at the table with Zecheriah and his wife, obligingly answered their questions, and tried to avoid giving away his identity. He did tell them that the next day, he would set off towards Aesclin Harbor. Zecheriah pointed out a handy shortcut to him that would take him by some beautiful falls that the young folk liked to picnic by. Zoisite thanked him politely and marked his map accordingly.

            Soon after dinner, he returned to his room. He reorganized his belongings, double-checking that he had all of the senshi's gifts to him. Jupiter's oak staff was leaning against the wall, and he laid the sword Endymion had given him on the table by his bed. 

            He blinked as a slim, leather bound volume fell out of his pack. He picked it up and flipped through it uncertainly, but it was empty. He was sure it hadn't been there before; he wondered what he was supposed to do with it. It was probably from Setsuna. Zoisite shrugged, retrieved a bottle of ink, and began writing. He didn't have anything better to do, and he figured that a record of his journey might be a good thing to have.

            First he wrote the date, although his handwriting was not the elegant court scrawl he had perfected after years of living in Elysion. It was shaky, a little blotted, and hard to read–but he figured he would improve after more practice. The scratching of the quill halted as he pondered what to write. He copied down his clue and the translation, then his guess that it was Aesclin Harbor.

            _Have made it as far as the village of Carmela. Approximately two more days of traveling before I reach the harbor, have received advice on route by innkeeper Zecheriah. Mention of strange, cloaked visitors to inn the past few months. Met the acquaintance of a warrior woman by the name of Kaliana Auriar. Have also seen disturbing sight outside of Crystal Tokyo in the Boundary divide, questionable signs of a magical battle? _

            He left off on that unsettling note and replaced the journal in his knapsack. He had nothing else to do, so he blew out the branch of candles and climbed into bed. Within minutes, he had fallen into a deep sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            He was standing in a room with cream-colored walls before a bed awash silken blue sheets. His hands reached out of their own volition and pushed the dress off the woman's shoulders; it slid to the floor with a loud swish. He looked up into her eyes, blue as the ocean and fixed on his own. It was Ami, and his heart clenched painfully as she smiled at him. 

            "I love you," she told him, her voice sweet and clear.

            She came closer, and the floorboards creaked. He looked down...weren't the floors in the Moon Palace tiled, not wooden?

            A quiet "snick" was heard, and he saw that he had drawn his knife out of its sheath. Why had he done it? Why, why? 

            Ami moved closer and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him deeply. Again, his hands moved purposefully without direction from his mind. The knife plunged into her, and she fell limply against him, her eyes open and blank. A moment later, her body disappeared, and he was left with a pool of blood on the floor, the crimson staining his hands, his clothes, everything...

            Zoisite jerked upright, breathing deeply–and then yelled in pain as fire burned all along his left side. Instinctively, he groped for his sword. It fell to the floor with a clatter, and his unseen assailant punched him hard in the head.

            Zoisite rolled out of bed to the other side and was yanked upright by a new attacker. He kicked and lashed out wildly, trying to ignore the pounding in his head. When his captor let him go, he crumped to the ground, pressing his fingers against his side–they felt wet and sticky. He felt around desperately for his bags, which he had left on this side...where were Uranus's daggers...where were they? 

            All at once, he felt the leather of the hilts, and they rested securely in his hands. He forced himself upright, readying himself for the newest attack. The light of the moon was weak, and he could only see shadows swishing all about the room. He couldn't see how many there were...he couldn't see them coming at him...

            Something nicked him on the arm, and he swung out blindly, cursing. Suddenly, the door swung open, and his room was filled with bright, blue-white light. Kaliana Auriar stood in the door wearing a sleeveless tunic over form-fitting trousers; her long hair was swept back into a high ponytail, and her ice-blue eyes were glowing slightly. 

            However, Zoisite didn't have much time to think about her presence, but he hoped she wasn't here to kill him. As his foe was distracted, he plunged his knife through the back of one–and leapt backwards in surprise when the figure exploded, spraying foul-smelling dust everyone. He fought his way across the room, trying to retrieve his sword, until he was distracted by a new flash of light...Kaliana was holding a ball of energy in her hands, and when she let it go, it engulfed two of them at once. 

            He paid for his inattention by being knocked to the ground, and a gleaming black sword hurtled towards him. Zoisite closed his eyes, waiting for the blow that would surely mean his death–and then a horrible screech met his ears. He opened his eyes and looked up to see Kaliana standing in front of him, having locked swords with the cloaked creature. She wrenched her sword away and plunged it into the creature's chest; he, too, turned to dust.

            "Get up!" she ordered, spinning around to engage another one of the dark cloaks. "Have you forgotten all your training, Earth General?"

            Zoisite picked up his own sword and began to help dispose of them, although he was beginning to feel lightheaded from blood loss... Just as Kaliana defeated the last shadow-thing, his vision began to swim with colors and misshapen blobs, and he passed out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            "I'm sorry," that intimate, slightly-familiar voice said by his ear as he swam towards consciousness, "I did not realize that you were wounded."

            Something cold and astringent was pressed against his side, and he jerked awake with a muffled yell. Deft fingers took hold of his chin, forced his mouth open, and poured a glutinous liquid down his throat. Zoisite choked and spluttered, but the pain vanished and his vision cleared instantly: a number of candle were lit, he was still in his room, and there was no sign of the invaders...

            Kaliana Auriar was standing before him, a curious expression on her face. "I hope you didn't mind that I used this," she said, indicating the kit Saturn had given him. "It was necessary to treat your injuries."

            "Thank you, I think," he replied uncertainly. She nodded serenely and began bandaging the cut in his side. Zoisite shifted nervously, embarrassed that this woman he barely knew was seeing so much of his anatomy. "Um...thank you, also, for coming to my rescue. How did you know they were here?"

            "I can feel their presence. It is dirty and vile."

            "What were they?"

            She looked at him then, her gaze amused. "Have you been dead so long that you have forgotten what youma are?"

            Zoisite blinked in confusion. "Youma?"

            "Well...that is a more modern name for them. Youma are paltry fighters, the lowest among the creatures of the dark–and the easiest to dispose of. You may recall Queen Beryl in the Silver Millennium, perhaps? They were her lackeys."

            "No, I'm sorry."

            Kaliana seated herself by his side, pushing aside his hair to look at the cut on his forehead. Although her words seemed cool and impersonal, her touch was quite gentle. "What do you remember of the Silver Millennium?"

            "Not much," he said, embarrassed. "I remember some of my childhood...being a general and meeting the other Shittenou and Prince Endymion...the only other things I know are what I have been told." Then he frowned as a new thought occurred to him. "How did you know I was an Earth General?"

            She smiled faintly. "I, like yourself, have traveled from Crystal Tokyo–in a roundabout manner. I work for their majesties, Neo-Queen Serenity and Neo-King Endymion. Currently, I have assignments outside the city."

            "Did you have business in Carmela?"

            "Mm. Yes, you could say that." Her smile was mysterious, like Pluto's, and tinged with hints of humor, sorrow, and shyness. He yawned, and she told him, "I've healed your injuries, and you should be fine by tomorrow morning, although you may find yourself tiring more easily."

            "Is that why I'm tired now?"

            "Yes."

            Zoisite felt himself drifting off and managed to ask sleepily, "Why did you save me tonight?"

            "Well....presumably, we're on the same side and fight for the same cause. Go to sleep, Zoisite. The youma will not return tonight."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            In the morning, he was awakened by the smell of something delectable. Kaliana was nowhere to be seen, and a steaming tray sat on the table. Zoisite got out of bed before he realized that he was not wearing any clothes–and his previously-absent nurse walked into the room. Both of them turned bright red, and she handed him his clothes before turning away. "I'm sorry, I thought you weren't awake yet."

            Zoisite hastily scrambled into his clothes, and when she turned around again, she noticed that he was favoring his left side. With one touch from her glowing fingers, the stiffness faded. "It's harder to heal here than in Crystal Tokyo, which is why you may have noticed that everyone looks very healthy there. This is attributed to the influence of the Silver Crystal...it is more difficult the farther away I am from the city to use magic."

            "You have magic?" he asked curiously as she motioned him to eat.

            She nodded with a skeptical look on her face. "Don't you? I was under the impression that you had magic with living things....plants especially."

            He looked away, his lips tight. "I believe it was taken away from me by the king and queen."

            It was hard to tell what she was feeling when she said, "We don't always see eye-to-eye, the monarchs and myself. This is part of the reason why I'm traveling here instead of residing at court."

            "There's a court?"

            "Oh, yes. It's slightly reminiscent of the Lunar court, I'm told...I am not familiar with what the Terran court was like."

            Zoisite nodded, his mouth full of eggs. When he had swallowed, he asked, "What is Crystal Tokyo's court like?"

            Kaliana looked faintly surprised that he was interested in such things. "Well... like any other court, I suppose. Full of intrigue, scandals, and ambitious women and men competing for the favor of the rulers and their senshi."

            "Have you met the senshi?"

            "Several times. But I prefer the politics of the city and would rather not deal with those of the court."

            After he had finished most of his meal, he inquired, "How do you know my name–and the circumstances of my exile?"

            She said simply, "I am a servant of their majesties. They give me knowledge they feel is important to me, and I do what I must. Although, Zoisite, I would advise you to choose a different name to give to those who ask for it. It makes it easier for dark forces to track you down."

            Zoisite blinked. "What would they want with me? I'm not–I'm not evil anymore, and I'm hardly important to the Neo-King and -Queen."

            "Perhaps that blow on the head addled your thinking." She giggled at his shocked look. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. Your intellectual skills were well-known in the times of the Silver Millennium. I suggest you use them. You were reborn for a reason, Zoisite. Setsuna herself brought you to Serenity and Endymion, and the gods have forbidden them from killing you. You must have an important part to play in Earth's future, and it would be best if you kept yourself safe and traveled in anonymity."

            He nodded absently. "You...know Setsuna? Were you alive during the Silver Millennium?"

            Kaliana flushed and turned away. "I–it was a mistake to let you know. The senshi of Pluto and I are old friends."

            "So that means you lived during the Silver Millennium?" Zoisite demanded.

            "Yes."

            "Did we know each other?"

            "..."

            "_Did we know each other, _Kaliana?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AN: And here we have the new character, Kaliana (Kay-lee-ah-na), whose nickname is Kalea. Zoisite is a little out of it still, but it's excusable after a millennia and more of death, ne? Thank you for reading and reviewing, everyone. I promise that the first test will come soon... I've been researching quite a bit for this fic ^.~ 

            ~Ice


End file.
